weds-day :: vendors, pt. 2

I will be honest with you folks, the further away from the wedding we get, the more I feel like it's slipping awayyyyyyy! I guess that's the deal with really fun days, but it stinks. I'll continue writing about it here until it completely loses its relevance, but as I recall, I have way more vendors to share with you!

Ceremony :: 

Divina Strings - Raven is a musician, so deciding on ceremony music plagued me, and for a really long time I just avoided it altogether. My friend from highschool is a professional violinist, so I reached out to her (like 2 months before the wedding) on a whim to see if they were available for the ceremony and cocktail hour. I also had a very strange request : Mirrors by Justin Timberlake. Mmm-hmm, this was a non-negotiable for me. Raven had vetoed us playing the original song as a recessional, but I knew I NEEDED it somehow, so I was delighted when Divina Strings said they would be able to do a string arrangement. Score! These guys were great; they also learned a very specific Bach piece that Raven picked out as the processional, on very short notice.

Justice of the Peace, Sal Fiore - Sal married us! He came extremely highly recommended by a friend from high school, and he didn't disappoint. Sal really cares about what he does, and made it his business to tailor the ceremony exactly to our specifications. We wanted a Catholic candle lighting ceremony, and the Jewish tradition of the breaking of the glass. We wanted to cut this and add that and he was great with all of it. He also did all of the sound for the ceremony - another thing that stressed me to no end because I just don't know anything about sound production. But it was perfect and that is thanks to Sal!

Tents Unlimited - Another non-negotiable? An outdoor ceremony. When we first talked to the venue about our date, they said something like And obviously you're having an indoor ceremony...and I went into some sort of seizure. The lake at Interlaken is just perfect, and I wanted to get married all up in that amazing nature! So a simple google search lead me to TU and I was pleased to hear they did tents at our venue all the time. They hooked us up with a heated tent and a 72 hour rain notice - if the weather was perfect on the day, we could nix the tent with only the loss of our deposit. Cool. TU was the nicest! We dealt with both Brittany and Ian and they were so accommodating. I called a month out in a panic - I needed clear sidewalls (I was calling them flaps, ha!) so that guests could see the lake but I needed an opaque entrance so that I could have my Big Reveal. They made that happen for me. AND they're also a rental company, so they're really a one stop shop.

Unity Candle - Such a silly name, yeah? I knew a ways out that I did not want some monogrammed candle with sparkles and a Bible quote. Simplicity is the name of the game for us, so I found Epic Beeswax on Etsy and Brian, the owner, helped me pick out an awesome set of candles. Ps - Beeswax has a buuuunch of health benefits - the candles naturally purify the air and ease allergies and asthma. Awesome, right??

Bagpiper, Terry Manning - I don't know what possessed me, but one day I decided that we really needed a bagpiper to lead guests to and from the ceremony site. Best decision ever. I never actually met Terry, and I am sad for that! But he was hands down one of the best parts of the ceremony according to all the guests. Super easy to work with, really nice.

And that's the ceremony! If you won't murder me via the internet, we'll continue next week with the reception.

xoxo,

love the above photo by Ashley Caroline so much!

weds-day :: THE Flash Mob.

Friends, today is special. On November 7th, 2015 at approximately 8pm, our families and friends surprised us with the most unbelievable Flash Mob that was MONTHS in the making. If you know me at all, I am the most observant human on the planet (read: paranoid). I never miss a trick, I ALWAYS know what's going on, and in general I am impossible to surprise.

So, you can imagine my reaction when approx. 40 of my closest friends and family started dancing in sync at my wedding. I. Almost. DIED.

Raven and I were bowled over and we were at a genuine loss for words. Over a month later, I'm STILL at a loss. SO I'll just let the video speak for itself...ladies and gents...I give you...

THE FLASH MOB:

RIGHT!?!?!? I cry every time I watch it. They thought of EVERYTHING, including tying in personal jokes. EPIC. EPIC.

Well...the fun didn't stop there.

Never one to be one-upped, Raven and I put our heads together that night and decided then and there that we would learn all the choreography and put together our own 2 person flash mob...

ON OUR HONEYMOON.

SURPRISE!

And that, my friends, is all I have for you today.

xoxo,

weds-day :: every single vendor we worked with, pt. 1

Hi there!

Anybody who's been around these parts with any sort of frequency over the last year knows I took wedding planning real seriously. I never really had those sleepless nights or breakdowns you often hear about, partially because I've been dreaming about a wedding my entire life, and partially because I hired the best vendors to help me out. Calling them vendors is a little reductive, because they're all truly wonderful people and artists, but you get the idea. I'm going to share every vendor we worked with here on the blog, because I want to spread the proverbial love!

Let's do this.

The Foundation :: 

These are the obvious, big ticket vendors we hired right away. Together, like super heroes, they built the foundation for a wonderful wedding weekend.

Melissa McNeeley, Wedding Planner:: Book her now. NOW. Before she gets too busy and has no time for non-famous people. Because I have a background in planning and am generally just an organized human, my parents (who sponsored the wedding, I like to say) were all - we're not paying for a planner, you don't need one. WRONG. You need one. What I needed, was Melissa. I had insanely pinned her page years ago and was biding my time to book her. Best money I ever spent. I cannot say enough good things about Melissa. She is sharp, savvy, and knows her shit. She will help you make decisions and will guide you when she thinks (knows) you're making the wrong decision, but will never come right out and say it. She will solve every problem that arises on the day of the wedding and you will be none-the-wiser. She will wear a vintage Geoffrey Beene dress to your wedding and you will want to be her best friend.

Ashley Caroline, Photographer :: Another one to snatch up because she is skyrocketing and you will be left in the dust if you don't hop on board now! Ashley and I have now worked together for years (oh, and we were also childhood best friends, it's casual), but nothing could have prepared me for working with her on my own wedding day. I spent the entire morning of my wedding calm as a little cucumber. Didn't cry once. When Ashley showed up? Waterfall tears. She's just wonderful. She cares so much about your wedding. She will take pictures that snatch the breath right out of your chest, and she will capture moments you didn't know existed. She will capture the moments in between the moments! She's gold. Another thing to note quickly about Ashley: she lets you and your spouse be authentic and true with each other. During our first look, there were a solid 5 minutes when I forgot she was there. She let us have our moment in quiet, and only guided us when we needed it. Hearing her reassuring voice as she captured portraits was so helpful. We honestly had a blast taking pictures with her. I kind of love her, if you can't tell.

Lastly about photography! Almost always, your photographer will have a 2nd shooter on hand to help capture the day. I asked Ashley if my good friend Julia Elizabeth could second (by the way it's not typical to request a second shooter, your photographer will select someone on their own), even though Julia has her own thriving photography business. She was so wonderful, and it was so nice having her alongside Ashley for the day!

Janssen Powers, Videographer :: A friend introduced me to Janssen's work over a year ago, and I made a mental note that I would hire him whenever Raven and I got married. Janssen brings a super chill, laid back Seattle vibe to the day. He's like a fly on the wall while he's shooting, but rest assured he captures everything. Easy to work with and just about the friendliest person ever.

Jakkelyn Iris, Florist:: Jakki's work is so exceptionally beautiful, and she understood right away what my vision was for the day. She had amazing ideas that never would have occurred to me. When I mentioned tiny bouquets, she was all about it; the result was unreal.

Rob Goodmonson, DJ :: Raven and I have known Rob for years, so he was the natural choice when we decided to hire a DJ for our wedding. He's great at all the nitty gritty stuff (when everyone should enter, how to pronounce names, when's the cake cutting, etc), but seriously, he's the best DJ ever. I'm not being hyperbolic. He knows how to bring everyone to the dance floor and make them stay there. He will play everything you want and nothing you don't want; he knows his shit. So super easy to work with, I can't say enough great things about him.

Happy Menocal, Crest and Invitation Suite :: Here's a more detailed post about working with Happy, and I think you all can tell we're so pleased with the result of her work. She's also just super nice and down to earth (even though she's busy designing for celebs and having her work published in Vogue). When 2 months out I emailed her studio in a panic (we wanted them to do the hand lettering on some signage for us), they managed to squeeze me in despite an insanely busy production schedule.

Patti Murphy, Paper Goods Design :: You all know how much I love Patti, she designed LRW's logo! And she hooked us UP for the wedding. She helped us source paper for our invitation suite, designed our favors, menus, and ceremony programs AND printed all of our paper goods. She worked quickly and had amazing ideas when I approached her scratching my head. She's so sweet and incredibly talented.

Jennifer Lynn, Hair ::  I've known Jenn my entire life, and that's not an exaggeration. We used to take dance together growing up (she was my partner during a dance to 'We Go Together' from Grease). She's a flourishing photographer now, but she also does hair and make-up. When I approached her, I knew it was a long shot because she lives in Quebec (but visits CT frequently), but she graciously said she'd love to be a part of the day. It was so nice having her there to catch up, but also her relaxed nature made it easy for me to communicate any adjustments I wanted to make to my hair (of which there were few). AND! She put HERBS in all of my bridesmaids' hair. HERBS!! She's a creative, beautiful spirit, and I love her to pieces.

Jennie Fresa, Beauty :: Jennie Fresa is a heavy hitter in the make-up world, and aside from just generally knowing her shit, she's all about natural, organic, cruelty-free beauty. Check and check, obviously I knew I was going to book her from the start. Tricia, who is part of her team, did the most beautiful job on my bridal party (and the moms!). Everyone looked like the most beautiful version of themselves. She was prompt, knowledgeable, and I'll be honest, she even covered up a couple gross zits I had on my back (and if that isn't professional, I don't know what is). She is also sweet as pie.

______________________________

WHEW okay, so this is just the beginning...more to come next week. Hit me up if you have questions.

xoxo,

ALLIE SIGNATURE

photo by Ashley Caroline.

weds-day: we're married

What they say is true: it is the best day of your life.

What they don't tell you: you not only grow closer to your spouse, but to all of your family and friends as well. Every bond is reinforced. It's a magical day.

We're in Italy on our Honeymoon (thank you Michelle and Roderick of Azurine!) , and I'm typing up some recaps during some downtime before dinner. Hope to get those up later this week.

xoxo,

Mrs. Koehler

image by our lovely, wonderful, amazingly talented artist friend, Ashley Caroline.

weds-day: signing off

Hi friends! Oh do I wish I had it in me to talk about ANYTHING else except my wedding this weekend. Alas, I do not. I'm heading up to CT today following a wedding manicure with my sister. Any color recs? I'm thinking anything but nude, since I feel like that's the obvious bridal choice (and you all know I don't like to do anything that's obvious). I don't think I'll be posting for the rest of the week, however, please follow along on Instagram to see snaps of it all!

Monday we fly out for our Honeymoon in Italy and Switzerland. If the itinerary is any clue, we are going to have the time of our lives. I may try and get on the blog to share updates and pictures...but if I don't, I will see you back here for a wedding-free (mostly, I think we'll keep weds-day around for a while) blog in late November!

Thanks for all the love!

xoxo,